


Fortress

by Qzeebrella



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: M/M, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-01
Updated: 2007-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-16 05:18:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8088748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qzeebrella/pseuds/Qzeebrella
Summary: A few of the reasons Malcolm loves Jon.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: for Mareel  


* * *

I was hurt and in pain  
Lying in a dark, dismal cave  
Surrounded by strangers  
All of whom were suspicious of me  
And I had no way to protect myself  
No way to escape  
The darkness closed around me  
The dust filled my lungs  
Trying to suffocate me  
And you came back for me  
Tried so very hard to rescue me  
And that you tried so very hard  
Touched me deeply  
Made me lower my guard  
Just enough to smile at you  
To let you see the joy  
I felt at your return  
You took my hand  
Helped me walk out of that cave  
With dignity and honour  
And it was only later  
That I realized  
How far I had let you in  
Further than anyone before  
And I got scared and scampered away  
Tried to hide  
Behind my defences  
But you did not let me

 

You kept poking at my defences  
Kept reaching out to me  
With looks of concern  
Smiles and touches  
And no matter how hard  
I tried to push you away  
You kept coming  
Laying siege against me  
Battering away at my resistance  
Trying to find a way  
Past the barricade I put up  
Against you  
And I was brought down  
Without warning or recourse  
By a slice of pineapple cake  
Such a simple thing  
And yet it touched my heart  
To know how much trouble  
You had gone through for me  
To make my birthday special  
To give me something I loved  
And I could not help but let you in again  
To let you see my smile  
To see the joy in my eyes  
To let you see  
That you had once again  
Got past my guard  
And that frightened me  
Into doing my very best  
To erect the barricade again

But no matter how hard I fought  
To keep a barricade between us  
You ignored it  
You reached around it to touch me  
Your smile blazed through it  
Your unending concern snuck under it  
Your attempts at forging a friendship  
Weakened it and made it useless  
And yet, I still tried to cling to it  
Unable to trust that I would not be hurt  
If I let the barricade fall  
It was my only protection  
Against the pain of loneliness  
I grew up with  
Against my parents disappointment  
With all that I was  
It was the only thing in life  
That had proven itself to me  
And now it was failing  
It was disintegrating in front of my eyes  
And all because of what I saw in your eyes  
The concern, the longing, the desire  
The promise of protection  
And the determination to reach me  
All of this was destroying  
The one thing I had always relied on  
And I panicked  
And clung onto it even harder

 

With every little action of yours  
There was less to cling on to  
The clasp of your hand on my shoulder  
After we saved that colony  
From the Klingons destroyed a foundation stone  
The way you recognized me  
When I was disguised as a Suliban   
Created an access hole for you to get through  
Your coming out onto the hull  
To rescue me  
Your presence in that jail cell with me  
When I lost my communicator  
Comforted me more than you can know  
The way you groomed me  
When we de-evolved for a day  
The way you apologized to me  
After reprimanding me in front of Tâ€™Pol  
Meant the world to me  
Your joyful smile  
When I rescued you from Rura Penthe  
All of this and more  
Destroyed the barricade I had tried so hard  
To keep up  
All of this and more  
Allowed you to touch my heart and soul  
Making them yours to hold

 

All of this and more  
Made me realize that my heart and soul  
Were safe in your keeping  
That you would protect me  
Cherish me  
And always help me walk with dignity and honour  
Just as you had that one time  
You rescued me from the Novans  
All of this and more  
Allowed me to let you in  
And I know I shall never regret it  
For you are an honourable man  
And the knight who rescued me  
From the tower I myself built up around me  
The gallant prince   
Who won my heart  
And gave me his in return.


End file.
